BALTIMORE (WMAR) — The man who Elijah Cummings replaced twenty-three years ago as Congressman for Maryland's 7th District, wants his seat back.
On Monday, Kweisi Mfume officially announced his candidacy for the February 4 primary election at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore.
The 7th Congressional District had been held by Cummings since 1996, when he himself won a special primary and general election to replace Mfume, who stepped down to take over as National President of the NAACP, after a decade in Congress.
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Other than Mfume, the only Democrat to announce a run so far is Talmadge Branch, the majority whip in the Maryland House of Delegates.
Last week, State Senator Jill Carter announced that she was forming an exploratory committee to consider running for the seat.
Republican Liz Matory has announced she plans to run.
Cummings died at age 68, on October 17 following complications from long term health challenges.
The special general election will happen 84-days following the primary, on April 28, the same day as the state’s spring primary and presidential primary.
Watch Mfume's entire announcement below.
